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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fine — all right
  3. wound — an injury
  4. vault — a safe
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bank — for money
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bank — for money
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fine — high quality
  13. tube — a container
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wound — an injury
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hand — help
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com